- A local community centre reopens after receiving funding to complete a full retrofit
- The aged gas boiler has been replaced with air source heat pumps, a cavity wall and roof insulation has been installed, alongside mechanical ventilation and new doors and windows
- The upgrades have been made possible thanks to a £169,563 funding grant from SP Energy Networks’ Net Zero Fund
Coppermine Community Centre has officially reopened its doors after undergoing a major renovation made possible thanks to a £169,563 funding boost from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund.
The site, which has been managed by 1st Gourock Scout Group since 2021 and staffed entirely by volunteers, is a vital part of the local community, with around 500 residents each week using the site.
Activities hosted in this community facility range from exercise classes and support services for adults with learning and physical disabilities, to Greenock Coastguard and NHS Blood banks. The site also functions as a local Scout Hall, hosting weekly Beaver, Cub, Scout, Explorer and Brownie sessions.
With the support of SP Energy Networks, the newly reopened building will benefit from a host of sustainable upgrades including new air source heat pumps as well as a modernised heating system, better insulation and upgraded doors and windows.
To celebrate the renovation, members of the community, local councillors and senior scout representation from the district attended the centre’s relaunch. The day included a presentation from Gourock Scouts and was attended by local Scout group members and leaders including Greenock & District Lead Volunteer, Martin Buchan, along with local Councillors Lynne Quinn and Sandra Reynolds.
The event also coincided with the centre’s weekly Community Café, a drop-in session held every Tuesday where a team of scout and community volunteers serve free dinners to anyone in need of a warm meal or a friendly place to chat.
While the revamp was underway, the group was using various alternative spaces to keep the scout group, and various other community groups that use the hall, going.
Jillian Violaris Campbell, Community Funding and Partnerships Manager, said: “Buildings like this are the fabric of local communities across Scotland, and with these improvements, even more people and organisations across Gourock and surrounding neighbourhoods will be able to benefit from using the Coppermine Community Centre which is now an environmentally friendly community facility.
“Projects like this one embody what our Net Zero Fund was set up to do; to inspire and provide communities across central and southern Scotland with funding that allows them to invest in their local priorities and leave an enduring asset that future generations will also be able to benefit from.”
Mark Gallacher, Group Lead Volunteer, 1st Gourock Scouts, said: “Around 400 – 500 members of the Gourock community and slightly beyond make use of this vital community centre, including those in vulnerable circumstances. Having an upgraded building that is now cheaper to run gives us the ability to keep on doing what we do - providing a safe space for the people of Gourock, by the people Gourock. It will also allow us to scale up activity, and we hope to be able to support 500 – 600 people weekly.
“Thanks to everyone who came out to our relaunch, to our all-volunteer staff who run the centre, and a big thanks to SP Energy Networks for making it all possible.”
A host of charities and organisations supporting communities across Scotland have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks’ Net Zero Fund to introduce innovative net zero technology. The groups have received grants to help them decarbonise and reach their net zero targets sooner, with projects ranging from installation of heat pumps and renewable energy solutions to the purchase of electric vehicles and retrofitting listed buildings to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
SP Energy Networks, part of the ScottishPower group, owns and operates the electricity transmission and distribution network in Central and Southern Scotland, delivering power to more than two million homes and businesses. The Net Zero Fund has been established through SP Transmission, a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks, responsible for transmitting high-voltage electricity from power stations and windfarms to the low-voltage network across Central and Southern Scotland.
More information about the Net Zero Fund is available at: www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/netzerofund